There are broadly two ways to win over the audience fulfilling their expectations. One is to come up with something entirely fresh that has not been said or seen before. And second is to present the familiar things in a surprisingly innovative manner, providing a novel experience grabbing the audience from the collars. While the first option is certainly a tough one to crack, the second is even more difficult to deliver, reinventing the routine presenting it differently.
Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana successfully cracks the second and does it in style, repeatedly bringing you onto the edge of your seats in its 151 minutes of duration. The film is a bold and ruthless presentation of the same old plot narrating the rise and fall of two gangsters, their mutual rivalry and a police officer playing the key role in their elimination. But despite the familiar terrain, it never lets you sit back and relax, keeping you constantly engrossed in its fast-paced events and action.
Beginning with an extraordinary presentation of their childhood (with the only woman appearance in the entire film), the writing beautifully amalgamates mythological references with characters named as Shiva, Hari and Bramhaiyya (representing Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh). Narrated through the voice over of Bramhaiyya (the police officer), the drama actually begins once his character enters the proceedings, changing the entire scenario. And its these sequences related to the officer and his professional trauma that beautifully lift-up the film, offering you a novel experience.
Led by impressive performances by Raj, Rishabh, Gopal and the supporting cast, GGVV also excels in its technique, brilliantly elevating the visualisation of the actor-writer-director Raj B Shetty. Majorly contributing in its excellence are the cinematographer-editor (Praveen Shriyan) and the background score composer (Midhun Mukundan) together creating cinematic magic on screen. They collectively make you feel the adrenaline rush, strongly reminding you of the films getting roaring response in the times of single screen theatres.
For instance, after a long time, I could hear thundering applause for just the voice of the hero’s Yamaha bike (before it even gets visible) and after decades heard screams and whistles on the sight of white blood-soaked shoes on the screen (strongly reminding me of the veteran Raaj Kumar). The experience took me back to the state we were, while watching Ram Gopal Varma’s Shiva, three decades back in 1990.
Honestly, I never thought, Raj B Shetty will come up with this kind of shocking gangster film, doing a stunning Tiger dance (representing Shiva’s Tandav) as his second outing post the thoughtful Ondu Motteya Kathe. Without glorifying the violence, he delivers a well-crafted film that also showcases the pain and loneliness felt by the gangsters, silently dealing with their inner turmoil.
On the whole, Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana might appear repetitive, predictably ending on an underwhelming note. But it is indeed a breakthrough in Kannada cinema worth applauding, bringing the cinematic experience back as felt and witnessed in the gone era. Thankfully it has been released in theatres, as that is where it belongs, offering a spellbinding experience to the starving cinema-loving audience.
Rating : 4 / 5
(Released in Theatres)
Bobby Sing
(bobbytalkscinema.com)
NOTE : The edited form of this article was first published in THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL Newspaper (Mumbai Edition) on 23rd November 2021.
